New Jersey has relatively clean ocean water, but the same can't be said for Barnegat Bay and its tributaries as evidenced by an increased number of beach closings last year, according to a national report released today.

The 142 days of beach closings and advisories at the Jersey Shore in 2007 were an increase of 6 percent over 2006, when there were 134 days of closings and advisories, an indication water quality is deteriorating, environmental groups said.

Photos by Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerWindward Beach on the Metedeconk River in Brick Township is closed to bathers today, the same day a report was released by by environmental groups which says an increasing number of ocean and bay beaches in New Jersey is getting dirtier.

The findings, discussed on the oceanfront at Monmouth Beach, were compiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council in its 18th annual "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Beach Water Quality at Vacation Beaches."

All of the closings last year were in Monmouth and Ocean counties, with the majority of them pre-emptive because of heavy rainfall that is known to cause high bacteria and pollution problems at those locations.

This beach off Hancock Avenue on Barnegat Bay in Seaside Heights exceeded the allowable bacteria levels in more than half its 36 total samples taken last year, according to a report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

For the full report, go to http://nrdc.org/ttw.

Officials from the groups, including Clean Ocean Action, the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, Environment New Jersey, the Surfrider Foundation and the Surfer's Environmental Alliance, said the state needs to get tougher with its stormwater runoff regulations so pollution of the bay and its estuaries after a rainfall is not a regular occurrence.

They called upon Gov. Jon Corzine to limit development, particularly in Monmouth and Ocean counties. They also said the state Department of Environmental Protection should implement rapid water-quality testing that can produce results in two hours compared to the current 24-hour wait.